Thursday, August 2, 2012

The only life Willo has known is on the mountain with his father and other stragglers, hiding from the government and from those who would kill for food. But when Willo comes home one day to find everyone gone, he decides to leave the mountain and find them. And discovers so much more to his world and his own life than he ever imagined.

Things I Liked:
This was a bleak, realistic, in-your-face look at a post-apocalyptic world. This view of a possible future was not glossed over or made pretty, but told straight up. I thought it was unique and interesting to get a look at a main character who is NOT the most intelligent and agile and resourceful and survives on those skills alone. It was different to see the future through Willo's eyes and see how, despite all the very bleak things that happen, he manages to keep a fairly positive perspective. I think what makes this book good for me was the ending. I had some issues with most of the book, but the ending was not what I expected and it really made me see the book differently.

Things I Didn't Like:
As I mentioned, I had issues: I struggled to care about Willo. I honestly was bored by the vast majority of the book. Yes, there are action-packed parts where Willo must fight for his life or run or survive. But these are interspersed with very dry sections and some of the strange and hard to fathom introverted sections in Willo's head. I didn't mind the way he talked - I found that a good thing - but in his head, I got confused. I didn't feel very connected to Willo or anyone he encounters along the way. I did think the ending made up for a lot of this, despite it's convenience. Good, but not great for me.